The summer of 2019 I got an internship at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at Kirtland Air Force Base here in ABQ, NM. For 13 weeks, I was immersed in the world of plasma physics as an AFRL Summer Scholar (technically, as a government contractor for the University Space Research Association (USRA)).
I was given my own research project where I assembled optical beam paths, operated class 4 lasers, and learned how to use diagnostics such as antennas and oscilloscopes. Not only did I learn MATLAB, but I became fluent in the language while processing my results.
I drew meaningful conclusions and communicated my
results during a poster presentation at the American
Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics’ 61st
meeting and published a first-authored paper in IEEE.
Having taken only one semester of physics prior to the internship as an undergraduate freshman, I was in complete awe of electromagnetics.
After the summer was over, I changed my major from chemical to electrical engineering. Two months after the internship, I was hired as a government contractor in the same research group through a different company, Leidos, and today, I fight the urge to procrastinate my linear algebra homework and go into work to conduct cutting-edge experiments.
Every day I get the opportunity to discover new things, build new and innovative devices, and collaborate with accomplished scientists. I see direct applications of my engineering curriculum in my research. As a result, I strengthen my skills of analyzing my results and speculating on what physical concepts are at play.
I encourage anyone interested in a summer internship to apply even if it is only your first year in engineering! The AFRL Summer Scholar Program application is currently open and closes January 10, 2022. You can apply here: https://afrlscholars.usra.edu/students/
Good luck! Anna
I was given my own research project where I assembled optical beam paths, operated class 4 lasers, and learned how to use diagnostics such as antennas and oscilloscopes. Not only did I learn MATLAB, but I became fluent in the language while processing my results.
I drew meaningful conclusions and communicated my
results during a poster presentation at the American
Physical Society Division of Plasma Physics’ 61st
meeting and published a first-authored paper in IEEE.
Having taken only one semester of physics prior to the internship as an undergraduate freshman, I was in complete awe of electromagnetics.
After the summer was over, I changed my major from chemical to electrical engineering. Two months after the internship, I was hired as a government contractor in the same research group through a different company, Leidos, and today, I fight the urge to procrastinate my linear algebra homework and go into work to conduct cutting-edge experiments.
Every day I get the opportunity to discover new things, build new and innovative devices, and collaborate with accomplished scientists. I see direct applications of my engineering curriculum in my research. As a result, I strengthen my skills of analyzing my results and speculating on what physical concepts are at play.
I encourage anyone interested in a summer internship to apply even if it is only your first year in engineering! The AFRL Summer Scholar Program application is currently open and closes January 10, 2022. You can apply here: https://afrlscholars.usra.edu/students/
Good luck! Anna
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